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Fire safety campaign continues in Sheppey

Sheppey firefighters will be visiting a pensioners’ club as part of their on-going campaign to keep residents safe from the potentially devastating effects of fire.

Crews will be giving out home safety advice when they attend the monthly meeting at Friendship House in Minster on Tuesday 15 January.

Sheppey Crew Manager Paul Schembri said: “It’s only a small club of about 15 people, aged from 65-years-old, but we welcome any opportunity to talk elderly residents as they can be among some of the most vulnerable members of the community, and we thank the club for inviting us.”

The visit follows a busy Christmas period for crews who have attended a range of events across the area in a bid to reiterate how some simple measures can help residents to protect themselves, their families and homes from a blaze breaking out.

Key messages include kitchen and electrical safety plus the importance of having a working smoke alarm. In conjunction with the University of Kent, KFRS has produced a short video to explain how the smoke produced by a house fire is far more dangerous than the flames. When a house fire takes hold, the smoke produced can be a range of poisonous chemicals including cyanide, hydrochloric acid, sulphuric acid and chlorine gas.

Paul Schembri added: “Babies, children and older people are most at risk if a fire breaks out in their home, as their bodies are even less able to cope. The best protection you can have is a working smoke alarm as this raises the alarm early and helps you to escape.”